Heart Scar
by Taisi
Summary: The statue was no longer a statue, but a living, gasping girl, who fell to her hands and knees in the tattered uniform Slade had dressed her in... BBTerra, pre-"Things Change"
1. Chapter 1

**I hate how Terra was turned to stone, not only cuz I liked her, but cuz it made Beastboy--my all-time fave charrie ever--very sadsad, which wasn't at all cool. So, yeah. **

**Disclaimer: She doesn't own Teen Titans, which mean she also doesn't own Beastboy, which means she's been killing lawyers off one by one as of today...**

_Heart Scar:_

_Chapter 1_

He sat curled up in his room, hoarded by these thoughts that had taken completely dominance over him. They swamped his mind, giving him the energy to do nothing more than groan and hold his head. He heard the team outside his room, like he always did, before they came in, so by the time they opened the door, they found nothing but an empty bed and an open window.

He always took to the skies when he was pained. The wind in his face illeviated it momentarily; the air dancing around him seemed to fly him up, and leave his worries below, grounded on the earth. He always forgot they'd return later, but for those few minutes of heartful sky-diving, he was grateful.

Now, as a falcon, he scaled the sky easily, wings set back to glide along the air currents. He knew where they carried him, and didn't question. So when he came to a small, dark cave, he dropped to the ground as a boy from about ten feet up.

He strode inside, green eyes flashing as he quickly checked for any possible threats, and, finding none, knelt beside the stone statue of a young girl. He leaned against the base of it, braced against the plaque that read "TERRA: A TEEN TITAN: A TRUE FRIEND". His eyes burned and he stood up on the base, so he could be eye-level with it's burden.

She was beautiful, but she looked terrified, her hair spiraling around her, arms spread wide a greivous, pained expression on her face. The boy took her stone hand in one of his, and whispered in a trembling voice, "I would've stayed, Terra...You wouldn't be alone now, if I had stayed..."

The circle set on his silver belt beeped and blinked purple. He stared at it before registering what it meant. He leaned close to the statue, as though wishing to warm it into the flesh with his own, and then turned around as a wolf, running the length of the cave to the entrance, and was suddenly a falcon once more, sliding into the shape with as much thought as turning over in bed. He gave once look back, and then was flying over the waters to the Titan Tower.

-x-

The team waited anxiously in the main room, staring out the windows in search of the familiar green changling, or staring at the vial that Raven held. Finally, Starfire cried, "There he is! I see our friend now!"

Normally, her words would've meant nothing, but now they scalded into everyone's minds like they were branded there. They'd seen Beastboy only a handful of times since the incident, and each time, though they were scattered, he said nothing, did nothing. He was just there. A ghost of his old self. And truthfully, no one realized how much they'd miss their tofu-eating friend until he fell away from them.

Through the open window dropped a thin, green boy, looking at least a little interested in the world around him, only a dim spark of animation in his eyes where at one time there was a fire.

But maybe, that would change.

Raven held up the vial. "Do you know what this is?" she asked softly.

He just stared at her, the question in his expression. His interest widened a fraction of an inch.

"This is the cure."

He said nothing. The other Titans looked quickly at each other, then back to their friend again. They had no clue how he was going to react; they couldn't decide whether he was angry with Terra still, missed her, or what. They remembered how he'd attacked her so violently, and yet how he had tears in his eyes when he did. They also knew he'd lost himself because of her, and they'd do pretty much anything to bring him back. He was openly staring at Raven now, mouth agape a little, green eyes far too hopeful for any of them to bear. "The...Terra's cure?"

"Yes."

He looked at them, from one to the other to the next, and his eyes finally landed on Robin. He dropped to his knees, eyes not leaving his leader's. "...Really?" Robin blinked when he saw the changling's eyes warm and fill with tears. The boy raised an arm to his face, standing again, wiping his eyes. He looked at Robin again. "Can...can we go now?" He added softly, "Please?"

He might as well not have asked; the Titans were already leading him to the door.

-x-

He watched Raven pour the vial's contents over the stone statue's head, murmuring something under her breath to make it glow. He found he was clenching his fists and his teeth, but did nothing to stop it. He could sense his team--with animal instincts--tense when nothing happened after the first few seconds.

He himself only stared at the statue, and prayed to any god that was near for this to work. He wasn't sure he could last much longer on hope if it didn't.

And then, the statue lightened in color. They didn't notice it at first. It went from coarse, dark brown, to lighter brown, to faun, to creamy, and finally to pale. Beastboy knew there were tears streaming down his cheeks, and he also didn't care. The statue was no longer a statue; it was a breathing, living, gasping girl, who fell to her hands and knees in the tattered uniform Slade had dressed her in. She hacked and coughed and took deep breathes, trembling and shaking, and then her wide blue eyes traveled up.

The first one she saw was Beastboy.

Her eyes widened furthur and she almost stopped breathing.

Beastboy's mind went uncommonly blank.

She was struggling to rise, and failing, so he went to her. He dropped to his knees before her. Looking at her, his green eyes softened. And then she was crying and burrying her face in his shoulder, the only coherent words the Titans could hear being, "I'm so sorry". And Beastboy simply stroked her hair, told her he should be sorry to, that he forgave her for it all. His friends could see the life coming back to him. The energy. His fire.

Hours later, the Team headed back, Terra wrapped in Beastboy's arms, Beastboy oddly silent as he supported her with a grin on his face. Robin had smiled when he saw Beastboy's, and turned to his likewise happy team. "Let's go home."

-x-

Through the caked earth a hand clad in armor puched through into the air, and then grasped at the ground. Another hand followed, and soon the two limbs pulled out their body. The masked man coughed, then stood and stumbled, less than graceful, away.

He'd deal with the Titans.

**I'm fully aware I might've over done it and there may be some OOCness, but really, I couldn't help it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okays, next chappie! I hope you all like this fic, cuz I like writing it! BB's my all-around favorite Titan ever, so yeah. :ponders for a moment: I guess I really don't mind Raven/Beastboy fics--they're actually really cute!!--but while Terra's in the picture, it's definitely BB/T. 'Kays? And BB may be a little OOC...I'm workin' on it!! NEXT CHAPPIE!!**

**As much as I'd love to, I do not own Teen Titans. :glares at apprehensive lawyers: There! Happy?!**

_Heart Scar:_

_Chapter 2_

_The green changeling started, and looked up through the dust and smoke to see Terra there, taunting him, challenging him. They could all remember, with somewhat painstakingly clear detail, the look of shock, then horror, then determination the flashed across his face; they remembered all too clearly the tears that welled up in his eyes before he sprang forward, the desperate, distraught scream that tore from his throat as he leaped for the girl he loved, unsure how he'd feel about hurting her, but knowing he had to. And then there was the pain from when she struck him; it was reflecting in his eyes when the Titans regrouped, and they could all see what a toll this was taking on him, but he never complained, never said a word beyond his loathing of Slade--and of Terra. And worse was the agony of leaving her behind in the collapsing cave; how she'd hugged onto him suddenly, tightly, and he'd hugged her back. They didn't hear the words she uttered, but they knew it made Beastboy hug her tighter. He'd argued feircly about leaving, but she'd met and diminished his arguments, sending him back to where the other Titans were waiting. None of them would forget how close their green friend had come to tears that time, or how he'd nearly tripped several times because of his constant glancing over his shoulder, as though he were wondering if Terra had miraculously broken free of her power and was running after them. Nor would they fail to remember how he'd stared at the statue of her when they brought the plaque, or the last, fleeting, too-hopeful stare he sent back while they walked away, when he thought no one was looking._

-x-

Raven pulled on her cape, pulling the hood on over her eyes, and then strode out of her room, walking because she didn't feel like flying. Starfire joined her from her own room, floating the full three feet from the ground, one arm dangling as she rubbed her eyes with the other. Upon seeing her telekentic friend, she brightened. "Raven, how are you this morning?" she chirped, disgultingly cheerful for so early in the morning.

"The same way I always am," she growled lightly. "There's been no overnight change." Starfire made a face, but did a few twirls around in the air, humming brightly. Raven glared at her. "Why are you so happy?"

"Because of our friend Beastboy!" she cried beaming at her monotonous partner. "He's getting better! And _Terra! _Terra had returned to us!"

Raven was quiet, and she lowered herself to the ground, needing the short walk to the den to help her think. She wasn't sure how she felt about Terra; she'd broken Beastboy's heart brutally, which wasn't something one did without a horrific, nightmarish incident as punishement; actually, she was the first girl Beastboy actually got serious with--and look where it landed him. Raven was obssessed with these morbid thoughts to the point that she almost _forgot _how upset Beastboy was when she...

"'Morning!" came a happy voice from behind them. They blinked and turned around. Beastboy, covering a yawn with the back of his hand, and waved, morning-weary, at them with the other. Then he trotted past them into the den.

The girls stared after him, then up at each other. A grin and a smile, one rather small, the other covering the whole side of it's bestower's face, and the two started through the doorway.

Terra, suddenly in front of them, hugged Raven suddenly, making her stop, eyes wide. "I know you're going to kill me for that later," she whispered when she let go, "but thank you _so _much, Raven, for finding the cure."

If possible, Raven felt a sliver of guilt, and didn't say that it had mostly been for Beastboy that she'd done watch she did; and jsut as she thought that, she realized that she had done it for Terra too--she had _missed _her? "No promblem," she muttered, dark eyes staring into hers, before she headed to the kitchen.

Next, Terra was before Robin, head bowed. "R..Robin, I'm so sorry! I didn't know what I was thinking! I, I just...Slade said that--he said I...And then..." Her hands curled into fists, and her hair hung over her eyes. "I'm just really sorry. And then, you helped me come back anyway...And you brought me here, to the Tower...I'm just so--"

A hand on her shoulder made her look up. Robin was smiling at her. "I know what it's like when Slade tries to manipulate you," he said gently. He pressed something into her hand; looking down she saw the Titans communicator. Eyes wide, she looked back up at him. He said, "Welcome back, Terra."

She smiled, ducking her head again. This truely was a place she could call home. She was suddenly being hugged feircly by an ecstatic alien, who picked her two feet off the ground in a rib-crushing embrace, gushing about how glorious it was for her to be back again. She choked out a similar greeting, and was rewarded when Starfire clasped her hands in joy, dropping Terra in the process. Cyborg patted her on the back, grinning.

Beastboy was leaning into the freezer, half of him inside it, muttering about how difficult it was to find ice cream. His search, however, proved successful, and he produced a huge bucket of vanilla and chocolate swirl ice cream--with little peanut butter and chocolate peices in it. He grabbed it, and the biggest spoon on hand, and fell over the back of the couch, prying the lid off. Using the spoon, he shoveled the ice cream into his mouth as fast as was possibly for a genetically inhanced half-human; just like old times.

Terra giggled, and grabbed the remote, sitting next to him and flicking on the TV. She found cartoons, and Beastboy spun into an upright position with a cheer. Soon they were engrossed in the show, fighting over ice cream, and commenting on things at random.

The other Titans fell into normal routine, until, a few hours later, Beastboy approached Robin with huge eyes. "Robin...can me and Terra go out today? I-I mean..." His green face was now scarlet. "If there's trouble, we'll come straight back, no problem, honest! And--"

"No problem, Beastboy," Robin assured, working hard to keep a smile off his face. "Just make sure to keep an eye on your communicator."

Beastboy grinned, saluted, and raced off.

-x-

That night, the Titans lounged about the den, talking about nothing of any signifigant importance. Starfire was ready to cook dinner, and everyone was trying to think of a tactful was to dissuade her, when Terra and Beastboy strode in, laughing and cajoling, _with food and beverages. _

Cyborg and Robin greeted them with enthusiasm, as well as their pizza and soda. Beastboy, chuckling softly, handed over the food, which made his teammates pause quickly and look at him. True, Beastboy was healing, but it was a work in progress. He was animated before, but it was just a swing. He wasn't morbid anymore, but he wasn't happy-go-lucky, frustratingly hyper, and annoyingly unserious yet either; to think that used to annoy them...(heh.)

Beastboy sat down while they ate, watching them eat, exchanging conversation, acting...human. Usually his beast side compelled him to act more...animal-ly.

Terra yawned and bid everyone good night. Stretching, she made her way down the hall ambling about tiredly. Beastboy also looked wore out. Robin watched him carefully. "Anything happen tonight?"

"Huh?" Beastboy's head had been drooping, her eyes closing; he jerked up eyes wide. "N-no," he yawned.

He was too tired for questioning; one had to wonder when he'd last had a decent night's sleep. "Er, I'm gonna turn in too!" he announced, covering another yawn. "G'night."

Then he trotted out of the room and down the hall to his own. Yawning yet again--the questions would come tomorrow, he knew, because of mind-like-a-steel-trap Robin--he didn't see Terra and plowed straight into her, knocking them both into an undignified heap on the floor, Beastboy on his stomach, completely under Terra's weight. "Geroff me," he groaned, flailing helplessly. She, blushing scarlet, stood quickly and helped him up. "Sorry, " she said quickly.

"Notta problemo," he said, rubbing his head. There was an awkward silence. "Er, listen..." he scuffed a foot, averting his gaze. "I...I'm really really glad you're back, Terra. I was...I just...And you..." He looked up, opening his mouth to hastily apologize for betraying her like he did, he was caught in a kiss.

His whole body went completely numb, his blood surged and his heart pounded. He managed to catch himself before he turned into a turtle, but he was trembling all the same. When Terra broke away, he brought a hand to his face, dumb-struck. Then he grinned.

Terra, face a billion different shades of red, smiled back, and ducked into her room, whispering, "Goodnight, Beastboy."

The green boy stood in the hall looking after her, still with an idiotic grin on his face. Then, shaking his head slightly, he turned into his own room.

-x-

The man floated, seemingly on the air, and chuckled darkly when the team ate, dispersed, and the individuals made their way into their seperate rooms. "They think it's over."

**Okay, small cliffy, rather short chappie...pleez stay with this fic!! Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease:on hands and knees: Don't make me beg!!**

**  
Alter Ego: You already are.**

**  
Then please make me stop!!...Reviews?! Please?! // **


	3. Chapter 3

**Yeah, here, fine--an update. I'm in the worst mood of my life, so I won't say much, lest I make it fall upon you as well. **

_Heart Scar:_

_Chapter 3_

Beastboy woke up at about nine o'clock. He groaned, and pulled the covers over is head, knowing full well that further sleep attempts were futile. Sighing, he threw the blanket off him and stood, rubbing his eyes. _Another day..._He stumbled--blind with morning weariness--out of the room, yawning widely, without really watching where he was going. He bumped into someone and fell backwards, landing heavily on his butt. "Ow," he muttered tonelessly, to asleep to care.

"Oh, sorry, BB," Cyborg said with a grin, reaching down to give him a hand. Beastboy accepted and was pulled to his feet. "Hehehe...good night's sleep?" Cyborg snickered.

"Shut up," Beastboy said, with a careless playfull glare. "Rebut well?" Cyborg stared at him, before chuckling and muttering under his breath, _"That's _the Beastboy I know."

"Eh?"

"Oh, nothin'."

They entered the main room; Starfire was, once again, in the kitchen--which, might I add, looked like some poor student's school cafeteria lunch food had exploded all over the counters--and Robin and Raven were watching her in fascination, Raven over the top of her book. Terra was sprawled out across the couch, remote in one hand, a huge carton of ice cream and a spoon in the other. Beastboy wandered over to the utensil drawer, and found a spoon; he turned and took one look at the kitchen, and shied away, slinking over to the couch and flipping over it with agility the Titans hadn't seen him practice for a long time, landing in a cross-legged sitting position, deftly beside Terra.

"Heya," she said, taking her eyes of the television screen to smile at him. "Good morning."

"Ditto," he replied mildly, sinking his spoon into the ice cream. "Healthy stuff for breakfast, ice cream."

"You better believe it," she returned her attention to the screen. "I hate what's on in the mornings; all the little kid shows. I mean, seriously, who _watches _this stuff?"

Beastboy grinned around the spoon, reached for the remote; taking control of it, he opened the menu and searched through the channels, finally landing on the one he was looking for. "Here--this is an all-movie all-day channel. Usually they're really _freaky _shows." When Terra beamed at him in gratitude ::((can you blame them? Ugh!! I hate those little kid shows. They creep me out!!)):: he smiled back with husky-dog ears, the spoon hanging cutely out of his mouth. "Notta problem."

"Titans!" Everyone--including Terra who'd been frozen in time as a stone statue for almost half a year--tensed at the cry, and spun around. Robin was sitting at the other monitor, eyes narrowed behind his mask. "We've got trouble! _Go!"_

It was reflexive; they all dashed away. Once outside, they each took to their own means of transportation; Cyborg in the T-car, Robin his bike, Starfire, Beastboy and Raven the skies and Terra riding her boulder.

If only they knew...

They could have prepared themselves, if they had...

oooOOOOOOooo

_Like the beating of a scarred heart._

Slade faced them without hesitation. The city around them was a mess of fire and ruin, bodies strewn everywhere. Beastboy was snarling, a bengal tiger--green of course--and crouched in between Slade and his friends.

_Beat_

One by one, their team had fallen. It wasn't very fair. The odds were outstanding; the Titans, who'd had no one to fight for so long a time, were cocky, overenthusiastic, and that was their downfall.

_Beat_

Slade was stronger than ever. By the time they'd gotten there, he'd totalled half the city.

_Beat_

Beastboy was bleeding badly, but he forced himself to remain upright. No way would he lose. Terra stood beside him, also bloody, and just as determindly standing straight.

_Beat_

Their friends weren't dead. Their breathing was haggard and shallow, but it was there, as was the unsteady pulsing of their hearts.

_Beat_

Looking at their foe, who'd not a scratch on him, Beastboy saw the hopelessness of their situation. He glanced over at Terra--_his _Terra--and every scratch on her seemed to brand into his mind.

_Beat_

She looked at him, and managed a small smile--_Don't worry. We'll make it. _He blinked, hesitated, and hung his head. _No, we won't._

_Beat_

He glanced back up. Terra was now watching him in concern, eyes flicking back to Slade to make sure he wasn't advancing. That made Beastboy smile.

_Beat_

He walked to her, unsteady on his gashed legs, and managed to just reach her. With a soft, uttered cry, she reached out to brace him before he fell. He took her hands and rested his forehead against hers.

_Beat_

"Are you ready, Terra?"

_Beat_

Her eyes widened; she finally understood. For a sinking moment of sudden fear, Beastboy thought she'd leave. Then she leaned into him more. "Yes."

_Beat_

Slade was getting impatient. Beastboy glanced at him, without moving his forehead from Terra's, then looked back at her. "I love you, Terra."

_Beat_

She blinked, but then her eyes softened. "I love you too, Beastboy."

_Beat_

They broke away after a moment, ready to face fate.

_Beat_

"Listen Slade," Beastboy said, with a spark of anger mixed into his voice. "We'll end this. One way or another." _And if this is the end...at least I went down fighting...with her by my side._

_Are you watching, Robin?_

oooOOOOOOooo

When he roused, he was lying in the middle of the street. He hadn't caught his bearings, so he wondered what could have brought on such a weird dream as his. Then he pondered what made his bed so hard. And then he wondered why his bed was a cracked and dirty street in the middle of a burning city.

And then he felt like crying.

He jumped to his feet, stumbling over to where his friends lay. After much shaking and prodding, they lay still, the way they were; cold as ice, eyes blank and unseeing. They had died while Beastboy had fought; he hadn't been there for him.

But Terra--

He finally roused her, and she sat up, bleary-eyed and dizzy, but awake nonetheless. "Beastboy..." her eyes brightened and her terror-stricken face softened. "Oh, we're both okay..."

"We're the only ones."

She glanced around and almost screamed. She did the same thing he'd spent the last ten minutes doing; shaking them, crying their names, begging them to wake up.

She turned around and saw the pain in Beastboy's eyes, the tears threatening to spill over. "Oh, Beastboy..." she took him in her arms, pulling him close. "Beastboy, it'll be fine."

He lost track of how long they sat there, him silently crying, refusing to make a sound, her cooing softly to him, trying to calm him.

When finally he couldn't cry anymore, they stood, hand in hand, and walked back--ever-so-slowly--to the Tower.

It was time to call in a few favors.

**ITS OVER!!!!**

I'm sorry I ended this so abruptly, but I lost all the magic for this fic. TT.TT It's kind of depressing, really...Reviews, please, and no flamers.


End file.
